rationale


In my project I'm going to interview Jay Bailey. Jay is a volunteer in the police station in Efrat. I found him a good citizen because he does everything for his community, he doesn't think about what he would get, and he just loves doing it. Throughout this project I hope to learn about the volunteers job in the police. Why does the volunteers think it's the right thing to do and how they are doing their volunteering with their real job.
I chose to do my project about this subject because I think it's really important to volunteer in your own community, your own city. I also think that the volunteer in the police is a great job, I think it's giving a lot to the city and to the volunteer him self. My goal in the project is to learn how to be a good Israeli citizen.








Profile of Jay Baily


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Jay Baily was born in New Brunswick NJ at 1970, but he only lived there for couple of months, before he moved to Baltimore and then to Los Angeles-where he grew up.
When he was young adult he moved to New York and there he met his wife- Dina. They got married and emigrated together from New York City to Israel in 1995. They


moved right to Efrat to an apartment that Dina's family own. They knew a lot of people from New York who moved to Efrat- and it made it a lot easier getting settled. Jay says: "it's a good place to start".

When he got to Israel he got a job right away- at the Jerusalem Post. Their first child- Michel (Micha) had born after a year. Jay says: "when you make Aliya when you are younger it's much much easier". He says that finding a can be difficult and the language makes a lot of difference- he knew Hebrew when he came and he wasn’t afraid to speak so it made it a lot easier. He summarized his Aliya positively: "we had a really easy Aliya and a great time after".

His present job is really complicated, he is an entrepreneur: he develops projects on his own, from his home. He advises companies that are starting out, and need advice on how to develop: how they should do marketing, how they should hire people, how should they build a website… he also makes videos for websites- 2 min video to explain about the website and what they do. He has a company and he says "it a lot of fun because every project I do is different". There is another company in America that wants him to be its CEO.

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Besides his job, Jay also fines time to volunteer:
Jay volunteers for the police in Efrat- that how it all started: when Jay got to Israel he was 25 and the cut off in the army is 24 if you have 2 kids. So Jay couldn't do the regular service in the army.
Jay didn't want to do the easier army service he felt that doing the army is an important part of living here- in Israel. Jay wanted to volunteer in the army but they didn't let him.

In 1999, Jay decided to go to the police station in Efrat and he asked if he could volunteer. After only few weeks he joined the police force. The police are working in Efrat and Gush Etzion.

In the police there are only 15 full time police, what the volunteers do is to be the "man power": to help the police when they need. But the main thing he does is patrol in Efrat, that is helping him because he knows most of the faces. So if he sees someone they have never seen before and he's doing something suspicious, they'll stop him and ask for an identity card.

Jay has been volunteering for about almost 10 years now. Jay says:" I like to be able to feel like I'm doing something". He says that because he's doing it here in Efrat he is helping his own community as well as Israel.

Jay's volunteering goal: on a simple level, is to help his community, but deep down he want to not feel guilty about not serving in the army. Because Jay works at home it helps him be flexible with the volunteer. And in is able to come most of the time that the police are called for.
The biggest challenge Jay has faced as a volunteer was when there was a problem with some kids that were smoking. They were going to the same place every single night. So a few volunteers dressed up in black and hid until they showed up. At the end- they have waited for three hours outside in the cold, and no one came there.
Another challenge he faced was during a time a lot of people were driving with out drivers licenses. Jay was standing at the barriers and stopping people to see the licenses, and to make sure there is nothing suspicious. But he didn't like it because there were people that he knew and were his neighbors.
Jay's kids are really proud of their dad. They get excited when Jay is coming to pick them up in his uniform. Jay believes that Dina also gets credit for volunteering, because she needs to take care of the kids when Jay is out. He said that his children see it as an important thing and they understand the importance of volunteering.


Jay says to the people in Efrat: "it's (volunteering for the police) so easy to do, the course is really easy". He thinks that more people should be doing it, to help the community in such an easy way. It is just something that feels good to do. "I'll do it forever" he says. The retirement is in age 70, so he has just "a little bit" more time.
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A Year in Israel programs

In an interview with Jay Baily he talked about the importance of "Hachshara" in his Israel experience. Hachshara is a program in which Jewish people come to Israel for a year, with Bnei Akiva. Hachshara is supported by two other organizations Masa and Lapid.

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The Hachshara program enables teens to spend a long period of time in Israel and learn about the country. In Hachshara website- they say: "Hachshara has the power to put a lifetime of Jewish education into context", and they do it well. "Hachshara provides an action- packed and a fun year. Teens experience another culture, test their independent, while doing something meaningful at the beginning of an adult life".

Hachshara programs intend to familiarize the Jewish people with real life in Israel as a preparation for Aliyah, and also they say in their website- "prepares them for returning to the communities they came from to take up leadership roles within Bnei Akiva and in the community at large". During the year the members get to meet participants from other year-long programs from all over the world. Hachshara creates global friendships that will last forever.
if you want to know more about "Hachshara" click here: Hachshara

Masa
and Lapid helps program in Israel for high school age. They help with money, with teachers, with plans, etc…


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What is Masa? Volunteer and study in Israel.
Masa enables young Jews from around the world, to build a relationship with Israel. The program is meaningful and beneficial experiences to the Jewish identity, by participating in a long- term program in Israel.
Masa recommend young Jewish with connection to programs, grants and scholarships toward program fees, as well as support, activities, workshops and resources while here in Israel. Masa is the top of dream expressed that all the Jews should spend a semester to a year in Israel.

if you want to know more about "Masa" click here: Masa

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What is Lapid? Lapid has built a network of thousands of committed alumni, families and investors who want to be an integral part of the Jewish people's future. The program comes before collage decisions, the program positively impact a student's choice for his future.

Lapid helps the development of high school age program in Israel that contributes significantly to Jewish Zionist education. Lapid offered educational, cultural and social option for all types of students. Lapid has brought half a million teens to Israel over the past 35 years.
if you want to know more about "Lapid" click here: Lapid




Bibliography

Hachshara- "A Year with Bnei Akiva in Israel", http://www.bneiakiva.net/hachshara/index.htm

Lapid- "Supporting Israel Programs for Teens", http://lapidisrael.org/

Masa- "Israel Journey", http://www.masaisrael.org/masa/english/


My America- literary connection


אמריקה שלי
**זוהר ארגוב**
מילים ולחן: עוזי חיטמן


נסעתי לאמריקה למצוא אפשרויות
אמרו לי אנשים ששם
קל יותר לחיות
ארזתי מזוודה
תליתי בה תקוות
עליתי על מטוס
פשוט קצת לנסות

הגעתי לאמריקה
למצוא אפשרויות
ירדתי לי שם בניו-יורק
עיר גדולה מאוד
הלכתי לאיבוד
בין המון שבילים
התחלתי להרגיש
שזה לא בשבילי

ארץ ישראל
היא אמריקה שלי
האוכל השפה וכל החברים
ארץ ישראל
היא אמריקה שלי
נשים כל כך יפות
והמון שירים

אחרי יומיים או שלושה
רציתי כבר לחזור
חשבתי על ארצי
שהשארתי מאחור
חיפשתי רמזים
שיזכירו את ביתי
אך כל מה שמצאתי
פשוט שבר אותי

עבר שבוע לא יותר
שאלתי עד מתי
עליתי על מטוס
ישר לארץ אבותיי
נשמתי לי למעלה
את ריח הוורדים
צחקתי ובכיתי
חזרתי
אל ביתי

ארץ ישראל...







Literary Connection
My America
Zohar Argov
Words: Ozi Chitman

I went to America to find options
people told me that there
it is easier to live

I packed a suitcase
I hung it on my hopes
I got on a plane
just a little try.


I came to America
To find options

I went down there to New - York
a Very large city

I got lost
among many paths

I began to feel
It's not for me


The land of Israel

is my America

Language food and friends
The land of Israel

is my America

Women so beautiful
and Lots of songs


After two or three days
I wanted to go back
I thought about my country

I left behind
I looked for hints to
Remind me of home
But what I found

Just broke me


After a week, and no more
I asked "how long"?

I got on a plane

straight to the country of my fathers

I breathe up
the scent of roses

I laughed and cried
I went back

home


The land of Israel….


"My America" says that only in Israel you can feel at home, even if people say that America is the "land of opportunity", Israel is like "America" for us, it's the place to find you're true home.

The author's main point is that he loves Israel, and even though he thought that it's going to be easier to live, he finds out he misses Israel and he wants to come back. He found out that he is excited to be again back in Israel- what he calls home. He said that what that other people think is "America", is the fun, and is the opportunity- he thinks it's all in Israel!!

I chose this piece of literature because this song shows what I feel about Israel. I love Israel! I love to be Israeli and I'm proud to be Israeli!
While I also like to go to America, to visit my family, to go see new places… every time I'm in America I miss my home, my Israel. I feel that even if I'll go to find something- anything out there, I always can find it at Israel and sometimes even better.

I think this song is also cynical, the author wrote this song in a funny even though it is a meaningful song. If you read this song again and again you can find things you haven't notice before (for example- that you wont get lost in a place that you know but In America you can), and make the song deeper.

I think that it really show the Israeli culture because Israelis are really cynical. The fact that it's funny and serious together makes this song a winner.

There is the song on YouTube- My America



Bibliography
http://www.shiron.net/Shironet-

http://translate.google.co.il/?rls=ig&hl=iw&tab=wT# Google- translate,

YouTube- "broadcast yourself", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce7xpgDLV74





Creative Connection



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I drew the Israeli flag because I think it i s something that reflects the state of Israel, the policy. I draw in my flag everything that I like, not especially things which are in Israel. I put in everything that reminds me of my home, my place, what that makes me feel belonging. In my drawing you can see also icons of Israel and institution of things in Israel that I'm part of them. In the center of the flag I wrote my name, and around it all the things that I like.

In my drawing there's the 'kotel'-the Jewish icon of Israel.
Family-it is the most important thing in my life.
'Bnei Akiva'-the youth movement that I'm part of.
Music and a Color Palate- are my hobbies.

I only used the color blue because it is the color of the flag, and all the other drawings are black and white. So that the person who is looking at it, could imagine his own colors, his own feelings.





Reflection:

When I first heard about this project, I thought it would be good. I really like to learn about people, and especially if I chose the person I want to learn about. When I started to work I understood that my expectations were right.

At first I was worried about the interview, but when I got to Jay's house, all the concerns were gone. The interview was really interesting, I really learned a lot about a good Israeli citizen. The background research was also nice; I liked to learn a little more about the year in Israel program. I also liked to explore my "Face of Israel"- my feelings. It's something that I don't usually think of. I had a little surprise while I worked on the project when I found out it really was interesting.

In the project, I learned that my relationship with Israel is not only about living here, but it's also about giving here, about marking myself in this country, in my community. It's nice to know that you're actually giving something to the land I live in.